REACH
The REACH (Real-world Evidence to Advance Community Health) Program is dedicated to improving the health of Wisconsin’s residents through community-informed research. The program utilizes advanced informatics approaches and tools and leads research on environmental health, cancer, and aging on a statewide community-based cohort of over 6,000 participants. In addition, REACH serves as a UWCCC Shared Resource and connects cancer researchers with comprehensive data and biospecimen resources to drive impactful research.
Funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the REACH Program builds upon a strong foundation, established by the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin that over the past 15 years collected invaluable data on the health of Wisconsin residents. The REACH Program continuously enhances research capabilities, by enrolling new participants, enriching data, advancing methods for participant-administered collection of biological specimens and establishing new collaborations and research opportunities.
Key features of REACH:
- Wisconsin Representative Cohort: Participants recruited outside of the hospital settings from across the state, encompassing both urban and rural communities, and historically underserved and underrepresented populations, providing a comprehensive view of the health of Wisconsin residents.
- Community Engagement: Continued efforts to involve diverse communities across Wisconsin in health research, ensuring broad representation and conducting research to meet the needs of communities.
- Optimized Biospecimen Collection: Access to high-quality annotated biological specimens, including serum, plasma, urine, DNA, and stool, stored in optimal conditions for future research.
- Advanced Informatics and Data Integration: Enhanced data curation methods and integration with environmental and public health records data to provide a comprehensive research dataset.
The REACH program supports a variety of research initiatives, including health equity investigations, environmental epidemiology studies, and multi-omics research. By building on the extensive dataset and biorepository from SHOW, REACH is uniquely positioned to facilitate innovative research and inform public health interventions.
Contact Information:
REACH Program
Medical Sciences Center, Room 1083
1300 University Ave. Madison, WI 53706
Email: reachprogram@med.wisc.edu
Phone: 608-890-3840